


Patchwork Couch

by Lurc



Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, I guess I'll add more tags as I add chapters, M/M, Pre-Canon, i just want to write cute things okay, no real plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-09-21 17:44:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17047715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurc/pseuds/Lurc
Summary: With the stress of things going on at the castle, sometimes Rouxls Kaard needs a place that's safe to get away and relax.And, really, it's not like Seam has anything better to do.





	1. Disruptions

The upheaval at Card Castle stirred up everything in one way or another. If Seam was a more dedicated shopkeeper, perhaps he would have been glad for business picking up in the wake of it.

 

He was not, however, and mostly found it . . . tiresome.

 

It had been a slow day at the shop as always. Seam was just beginning to doze off behind the counter when a board of jigsawries flooded in, all of them sobbing and wailing. It was in that way Seam learned of the King of Spades' takeover and subsequent firing of all the kingdom's puzzle makers. He learned of these things several times over, in fact, as each jigsawry tearfully explained their plight.

 

Of course, it wasn't like Seam had anything better to do with his time, so he listened. And as he listened he began to notice a trend from each of the jigsawry's stories. A name brought up again and again in each retelling of the events, spoken in quiet, fearful tones:

 

 _Rouxls Kaard_.

 

A treacherous, clever villain who would smile in your face while sliding a dagger in your back. A vile mastermind who rose to power by ruthlessly eliminating anyone above him, friend or foe alike, and thus gained the king's favor.

 

At least, that's how the jigsawries told it. The name rang a faint bell in Seam's mind, but the description somehow didn't fit. Seam tuned out the jigsawry as he shifted through old memories of his time in court, trying to remember who it was--

 

Ah! _That_ Rouxls Kaard.

 

A chancery clerk, as he recalled. The pretty one.

 

The one who cried when Jevil put dye in all the castle's shampoo bottles.

 

If the jigsawry noticed Seam's shoulders shaking as he chuckled quietly to himself, they didn't let it interrupt their tale.

 

While they were all certainly upset, their tears moved Seam to do little more than sell them discounted dark candies. Perhaps a lifetime ago he would have been more concerned about the state of the kingdom. Felt a call to action. But not now. This wasn't his battle, and its outcome had little impact on him.

 

Over the next couple days, the jigsawries took refuge in the clearing next to Seam's shop. They chased off any passersby with their half-baked tutorials and kept needling him about more dark candy they could just as easily pick for themselves. But everyone needed space in these dark times, he supposed. Even nuisance was a pleasant shake-up from routine. Until that nuisance also settled into routine and familiarity, as all things did with the passing of time.

 

\---

 

Seam was behind the counter as always when a high-pitched noise broke the relative silence, accompanied by a flash of light and a charge of magic in the air he could feel in his fur. Glancing outside, he saw a blue man with white hair that stuck out like a sore thumb retreating down the path to the south. A dead end.

 

Seam waited a few minutes and, when the man did not return the way he came or teleport again, decided to go for a little walk. It was just a short, leisurely stroll to meet this dreaded Duke in person.

 

The man in question was gently banging his forehead into the locked gate blocking the path before him, his arms hanging limply at his sides. Seam watched him for a time, waiting to see if he would eventually stop, but Rouxls Kaard seemed far too consumed by his problem.

 

Clearing his throat gently, Seam called out to him. "Lovely afternoon, isn't it?" Rouxls shrieked a whirled around, pressing his back to the gate like a cornered animal.

 

Rouxls Kaard's expressions were an open book. First regarding him with suspicion, followed by confusion, recognition, and finally a look of disgust that easily rolled off Seam's back. Rouxls looked much the same as Seam could remember, but the shopkeeper was a far cry from the mage those at court would recall.

 

"Oh, it's just thou..." Rouxls' muttered dismissively once he composed himself.

 

"Good to see you as well." Seam grinned, "What brings you so far from the castle?"

 

The was a split-second hesitation before Rouxls puffed up like a peacock, "As the newly appointedesteth _Duke of Puzzles_ ," he said his title with extra emphasis, "I hath been tasked with checking uponst all puzzles in the kingdom." Suddenly he deflated a little and glanced at the ground. "But, ah..."

 

"... You don't know how to open the door from this side." Seam supplied.

 

"... N-nay..." Rouxls admitted in a whimper. With a shuddering sigh, he began to pace frantically and rake his hands through his hair. "What am I going to reporteth to the king?" He wondered, "Who knowseth what he'll do if I falleth short in my duties!"

 

Seam held a held up a placating hand, "Now . . . why not just ask the jigsawries? They must know the trick to--"

 

"Nay!" Rouxls cut him off desperately, putting his hands up as if to stop him. "... Ah..." The Duke composed himself and cleared his throat. "Haha... That is to sayeth, that won't be necessary."

 

Seam nodded and didn't press the matter. "Well, since you appear to have your schedule cleared, you could come back to the shop. You look like you could use a cup of tea..." Rouxls didn't look convinced. "... Or stay here. Makes no difference to me." Seam turned just like that and began to walk back to his shop.

 

Footsteps caught up to him moments later. "I supposeth it wouldn't hurt to grace a commoner such as thou with my company." Rouxls said quite haughtily for a man who had been in a panic just before.

 

Rouxls was led to the small living space behind the shop. Various knick-knacks gathered over the years cluttered the space, but were collecting dust from neglect. A few stacks of board games were shoved into a corner and looked as though they hadn't been touched in years. It looked like a quaint, cozy home that had gone unlived in for a time.

 

"Forgive the mess... Wasn't expecting to have 'nobility' over!" Seam laughed and left the Duke to his own devices.

 

Rouxls Kaard couldn't have looked more out of place there if he tried. He seemed loath to touch anything and gravitated to the center of the room. The only things that weren't covered in dust were a patchwork couch and armchair that rested near the fireplace. An abandoned game of forty thieves lay spread out on the coffee table in front of them. The overstuffed furniture looked well-worn with time and use, and there was no rhyme or reason to the cloth swatches that made them up.

 

As Seam busied himself in the kitchenette, he saw Rouxls closely inspect one of the more ornate patches on the couch -- a bright red and black diamond-patterned velvet. Perhaps it looked familiar? It had once lined the inside of his cloak when he had performed at the castle. As time went on, holding on to the finery of a court magician was less practical than having a couch with fewer holes, and the cloak was cut up without ceremony.

 

By the time he came out with the kettle, Rouxls had apparently deigned to sit down. Seam poured him a cup, then one for himself and settled into the armchair. Seam took a long sip as his guest reluctantly gave the tea a taste.

 

"... What am I going to telleth his Majesty?" Rouxls slumped forward, still bogged down by his predicament.

 

"Just say everything's in working order..." Seam suggested.

 

"What?" Rouxls whipped his head in Seam's direction, looking horrified, "Lie?! To the king?! Art thou mad?!" The accusation was only met with a noncommital shrug.

 

"There's no reason to believe the puzzles are broken. 'Sides, it would probably be better for the king if that door was busted shut anyway..." Seam chuckled, but Rouxls looked increasingly frantic.

 

"If his Majesty is not pleasedesteth with my report, he may very well throweth me in the dungeon too!" He despaired.

 

"Your tea is cooling." Seam pointed out. Rouxls looked abashed and took a bigger sip.

 

The Duke stared miserably into his cup, "His Majesty holds me to such a high standarde." Remembering himself, Rouxls sat up straight as an arrow and put on a confident face, "One of his most brilliant decisions, aha! As I am clearly the most qualified individual for this positione! . . . left." He took another sip thoughtfully. "Besideseth, I don't even knoweth what puzzles are beyond yonder door..."

 

"I would think there would be records of such thing..." It was a simple suggestion, but the revelation dawning on Rouxls' face was instant.

 

"That's it!" Rouxls lit up at the glimmer of hope before him. "I'll pulleth the old puzzle makers' records! Maybe even organizeth them -- they've always been sloppy, thou see." That sounded horrendously dull to Seam, but the Duke seemed to be in a better mood at the thought. "Of course this dilemma was nay match for the _Duke of Puzzles_!" Rouxls ended with a triumphant fist in the air.

 

When his crowing received no reaction Rouxls cleared his throat and sipped his tea awkwardly. They drank in silence for a while after that.

 

"Ah... What kindst of tea is this?" Rouxls broke the silence, swirling the last bit at the bottom of the cup. "The flavore is . . . different."

 

"Catnip."

 

Seam smirked as he watched Rouxls' expression fall flat. He took a deep sip, draining his cup and sighing in satisfaction. "... I won't be judged by a man who eats worms."

 

Rouxls gasped in offense and slammed his cup on the coffee table. He stormed out of the room without even a goodbye.

 

"Come back any time!" Seam called after him just before he heard a high-pitched buzz and felt a burst of magic. The sensation faded soon after and things returned to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around this far! I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> With this chapter out of the way, now I can work on some more shippy chapters.


	2. Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. My ideas for this chapter weren't as concrete as plans for later chapters.
> 
> Still, I hope you like it!

Seam honestly didn't expect to see Rouxls again after he had left in such a huff. But when the Duke walked into his shop over a week later, he supposed anything was possible.

 

"Welcome back." He greeted him. Rouxls merely hummed in response and side-eyed Seam icily.

 

Seam folded his hands on the counter and watched patiently as Rouxls Kaard walked around his humble shop. The Duke made a big show of looking over all of his wares, but Seam caught Rouxls glancing back over his shoulder at him multiple times. Seemed like he was debating something.

 

Apparently he reached some decision and approached the counter. "I don'tst supposeth thou hath time for..." Rouxls made a face, "'tea'?"

 

Seam shrugged and pushed away from the counter as he stood. "Not like I'm doing much else." He said, gesturing to the back room.

 

Rouxls followed him once more into his home. As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, the Duke whirled around on Seam.

 

"Nothing that happenseth here, leaves." He ordered, sternly glaring at Seam.

 

Seam was unperturbed. "Now who would I even tell?"

 

That response seemed to satisfy Rouxls, who nodded curtly and folded his arms behind his back. He turned on his heel and walked over to the couch he'd sat on before, exuding the poise one would expect from nobility.

 

And proceeded to gracelessly bellyflop onto said couch, blubbering.

 

Seam started on the tea.

 

"His Majesty is only getting worseth!" Rouxls explained after getting ahold of himself. "Just the other day, he lockedest up someone for looking uponst him wrong!"

 

Heating the water with magical fire, Seam responded with a noncommittal hum to show he was listening.

 

"What doth that evenst mean!" Rouxls continued, "They werest a pair or eyes!" Despite himself, Seam chuckled at the situation.

 

He tapped two spoonfuls of dried leaves into the teapot and poured the hot water. Rouxls continued that as the king grew less tolerant, servants and soldiers alike began more frequently using the Duke as a buffer. They turned to him for mundane questions and giving reports -- including, very importantly, their failures.

 

"As if His Majesty willst be kinder, hearingeth it from me!" Rouxls clutched a throw pillow over his face in anguish. From where Seam stood, he could only see Rouxls' boots kicking in frustration over the armrest.

 

It seemed the weight of seemingly managing the goings on of the castle with everyone fearful of their new monarch is what had driven Rouxls there to vent. Seam listened patiently while allowing the tea to steep, knowing from experience how long it needed. Rouxls spoke of having new duties dumped on him and the prince constantly at his heels, all while still being the sole puzzle maker in the kingdom.

 

Which the king was still breathing down his neck about, not pleased at all with his lack of progress.

 

"If I hadst known this is what it means to be high ranking..." Rouxls trailed off, letting the thought hang in the air with no conclusion. He pulled himself up to a sitting position when Seam approached with two steaming cups of tea. Accepting the drink, he stared down into his cup uncritically, seeming much more subdued now that he'd shared his distress. "But there's nothing to do about it now..."

 

"You could quit."

 

Rouxls stared at him as if he'd said the most absurd thing he'd ever heard. "Ah ha . . . doth thou have cotton in thine ears?" Well, _yes_ , he did. "Or did thou miss what I saideth aboutst the dungeon?"

 

Seam shrugged and took a long sip of tea. "Does it really matter? You can either spend what little time is left for this world in a dungeon . . . or trapped in the responsibilities of a role you aren't cut out for."

 

Rouxls ignored the implications of the first part of his statement in favor of bristling at the last part. "Thou thinketh I'm not 'cut out' for this?"

 

"Well, you--"

 

"I amst the Duke of Puzzles!" Rouxls stood up abruptly, expression indignant. Seam wondered if he was going to storm out like before. "And thou should knoweth Rouxls Kaard always comes out on top!"

 

"If you say so..." Seam held up a placating hand. Rouxls didn't seem satisfied.

 

The Duke looked around in frustration, before an idea dawned on him. "And I shallst prove it! I challenge thee to a battle of wits!" He marched over to the stack of abandoned games and looked over the faded titles before pulling one free.

 

Rouxls stared Seam down with defiant confidence and slammed the box down on the coffee table.

 

" _Have at th_ \--" He was cut off by a violent fit of hacking and sputtering from the dust cloud that promptly erupted from the box.

 

Seam idly waved the dust away from his face and looked at the game selected with an unreadable expression. Rouxls had picked an old chess set. A small, sly smile tugged at the corners of Seam's mouth.

 

"Are you sure? It's been so long..." He put a finger up to his chin thoughtfully, "I'm afraid I might be a bit rusty..."

 

Rouxls, still coughing and tears pricking the corners of his eyes, managed a hoarse, haughty laugh. "Don'tst thinketh I will goeth easy on thou, cat!"

 

Seam shifted the armchair over to play easier while Rouxls arranged the pieces. It truly had been a long time since he'd played; perhaps this would be fun.

 

\---

 

Rouxls lost within minutes.

 

The Duke was silent for a while. He stared down at the board with his hands clasped in front of his face.

 

"Best two out of three!" He finally broke the silence and furiously began resetting the board. "I was merely givingeth thou a chance to getst thine bearings. In the interest of fairness."

 

"Well, thanks." Seam let it slide.

 

\---

 

If possible, Rouxls lost even faster the second time around.

 

Seam wasn't sure if he should say something when he saw the tight, broken grin frozen on Rouxls' face. A strained whine, not unlike a boiling kettle, came from the Duke as he stared down yet another loss. Seam nearly jumped out of his cloth when he began laughing manically.

 

"Foolish worm! Doth really thou believe that was my strongest strategy?" Rouxls bluffed admirably, "Prepare thyself, for now the gloves art truly off! Best three out of five!"

 

\---

 

As time went on their empty tea cups sat forgotten off to the side. Three out of five had become four out of seven, which became five out of nine, and so on.

 

The Duke sorely lacked any sort of knowledge of strategy or creativity to contend with Seam, but he kept insisting on more games, and before they knew it the evening had flown by. Seam had to be impressed with Rouxls' perseverance, at the very least. And also the range of amusing expressions Rouxls made with each loss.

 

\---

 

At the end of _he'd-forgotten-what-number_ rematch, Rouxls blinked down at the chess board, gobsmacked. "That's..." He leaned forward and double-checked the pieces' positions with his finger. "Checkmate!" A triumphant laugh bubbled up and the Duke leapt to his feet. " _Yesss!_ "

 

Rouxls cheered for a full minute before suddenly regarding Seam suspiciously. "... Thou didn't let me win, didst thou?"

 

"Of course not."

 

He had.

 

And it had been painful.

 

More of a challenge than trying to win, though.

 

At the end of the day, winning a game of chess was meaningless to Seam, but it apparently meant a lot to the Duke.

 

"Ha ha! Of course the Duke of Puzzles wouldst utterly crush some frumpy, old cat!" Rouxls struck a dramatic pose. He paused and looked back at Seam sheepishly, "... No offense to my gracious hoste."

 

Seam only shrugged. "You're not wrong..."

 

"Ah! Look at the time -- I shouldst returneth to the castle." Rouxls, still in gloating mode, grinned and winked at Seam. "Try not to walloweth in thine defeat. Thou never stoodeth a chance against my dazzling intellecte."

 

Seam was already packing the chess set away. "See you later, Kaard... or not."

 

\---

 

After that evening Rouxls began visiting the shop frequently. The visits fell into a pattern of Rouxls venting his problems at the castle over tea -- even though he never seemed receptive to Seam's very practical (he thought) advice -- and eventually playing a few games. Their conversations over time drifted from complaining to more casual topics such as the latest gossip, or the prince's shenanigans.

 

Slowly but surely the stacks of old games that had been left to rot in the corner migrated to a more prominent spot by the couch. Rouxls wasn't really improving with any of them, but he seemed determined that he just needed to find the right game. Although the matches weren't as challenging as Seam might like, the company and activity passed time better than an evening spent alone, wondering when madness would take him.

 

And regardless of whether Seam let him win or not, Rouxls always seemed more heartened when he departed for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting closer...
> 
> Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out a bit quicker!


	3. Assurances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why this took so long to write...
> 
> Just kept trying to get each part right, and I can only hope my efforts paid off!

"I hath had enougheth!"

 

The declaration startled Seam from a cat nap. He sat up straighter in his armchair and rubbed his button with a paw. Looking towards the source of the disturbance, he paused. Seam's button spun once. Twice. He pawed at it again, not sure if he had truly woken up.

 

Rouxls Kaard stood in the doorway to his living space, eyes burning with resolve. The serious expression was utterly undermined by the checkered apron tied over his normal uniform and the bright yellow rubber gloves. Seam finally managed to process that what he was seeing was real.

 

"... You get demoted?"

 

"Hush, worm!" Rouxls brandished a feather duster at him, "If I amst to continue coming here, I can nay longer standeth thine domicile." To emphasize his point, he ran a gloved finger along a nearby shelf and inspected the dust it picked up.

 

Seam finally managed to pull his attention away from the Duke himself to notice various other cleaning implements at his heels. Judging from that, and the way Rouxls was dressed, clearly he'd had his mind set on this beforehand. Seam weighed his options. He knew Rouxls could be quite persistent at times -- would it be more or less exhausting to try and persuade him from this?

 

Looking around, he supposed the place could do with a bit of 'spring cleaning'... "Eh, do as you like." Seam relented, but not without a tinge of amusement in his voice.

 

Rouxls didn't need more encouragement to get started and moved the supplies he'd brought out of the way. He propped open the door leading back to the shop, which was open to the world outside.

 

"'Tis no wonder thou art so gloomy, with nay freshe air." He insisted as he began dusting around the edges of the room.

 

"I suppose..." Seam watched Rouxls for a time. The Duke went about his cleaning with such energy and attentiveness that he seemed to have forgotten he was even there. After a while, he figured it would be rude to not join in.

 

"Don'tst dust with thine tail!" Oh, perhaps Rouxls was paying attention after all, "Thou'll geteth filthy!"

 

Seam worked on the opposite side of the room, trying to stay out of the path of Hurricane Rouxls. It was easy to forget just how many things he'd collected over the years since he'd lost affection for the trinkets. He pulled the items down from their resting places one-by-one and cleaned them off with a soft rag. After a while, his mind wandered as he worked and memories resurfaced.

 

A shriek ripped Seam from his thoughts. He spun around just in time to avoid a white carrot that shot past him, grazing his wrist and embedding itself into the wall before disappearing. Hissing, Seam fumbled what he was holding -- a small glass jar filled with layers of colorful sand -- and just managed to save it from shattering. He sighed in relief.

 

The screaming hadn't stopped, however, and was now joined by pounding footsteps and the clatter of furniture being toppled. Seam took in the surreal sight of Rouxls, spouting colorful language, chasing a couple of rabbicks out of the shop with a broom raised high above his head.

 

Rouxls was huffing and puffing by the time the rabbicks had finally been herded outside. He shot Seam a withering look and gestured pointedly in their retreating direction. Seam chuckled and placed the jar back on the shelf. He began righting the furniture that had been knocked over in the chase while Rouxls swept up the trail left behind by the rabbicks.

 

Thankfully, there were no similar incidents for the rest of the evening, leaving them to clean in peace. Nothing was left untouched, no surface unscrubbed. All of the clutter was collected and found a home. Of course, not without painstaking reorganization by Rouxls first.

 

Rouxls was down to straightening the last few knick-knacks, squinting critically and nudging one a few centimeters to the right. Seam fluffed a throw pillow before collapsing on the couch with a sigh. He summoned a flame in the palm of his hand, then tossed it into the fireplace in front of him. It ignited instantly and cast the room in a yellow glow.

 

It was a nice a way as any to end the day, he figured as he settled in.

 

"One more thing..." Rouxls approached couch, smirking. Seam recognized the same expression on his face as when he first arrived hours ago. The Duke's yellow gloves were absent and he was holding a hairbrush in one hand, which didn't escape Seam's notice.

 

"Ha ha... How cruel," Seam teased, his button spinning, "getting me all worn out before turning on me."

 

Rouxls grinned, "Thou felleth right into my trap. Like a worm to a flame!" Seam groaned at the butchered idiom and brought a paw up to his temple.

 

"Fine, fine... Let's get this over with." He relented, scooting over to give Rouxls some room.

 

Seam wound up turned to the side, facing away from Rouxls, who perched behind him with one knee propped up on the couch and a steadying hand on Seam's shoulder. Seam flinched at the first few brushes just at the top of his head. He was long unused to any sort of contact, let alone being close-quarters like this.

 

The warmth radiating from the fire was seeping into his cotton. He had to admit, the ticklish sensation of being brushed felt nice the more he got used to it. Tired and warm, Seam couldn't help but be lulled into relaxing by the rhythmic brushing.

 

"What is that sound?" Rouxls asked, pausing his current task.

 

"Hrm?" Seam tried to blink away his daze. He'd failed to notice it before, but now was acutely aware of the soft rumbling sound in the room, and that it was coming from--

 

Seam coughed, silencing the sound. "Sorry 'bout that..." He rubbed his throat, "Guess I got a bit cozy."

 

"N-nay, 'tis fine." Rouxls mumbled with an odd tremor in his voice. He delicately cleared his throat and continued brushing. "As thou were."

 

Seam leaned back into the touch once more. His purring started back up soon after, but neither of them brought it up. When Rouxls moved on to the thick, orange fur around his neck, Seam involuntarily tilted his head with a sigh.

 

"Much better," Rouxls chatted idly, "takingeth time for personal grooming always cheerseth me up."

 

"Hm, and has that been today's game, Rouxls..?" Seam had a hunch: " _'Cheering me up'_?"

 

The brush halted almost immediately as Rouxls froze up and considered his reply. "W-well, thou art rather melancholic, most days."

 

Well, it wasn't like he was _wrong_. "But you must know it isn't so simple..." Seam turned to Rouxls. "After all, even if I rearranged all the furniture in the castle, you would still have to deal with being duke."

 

Rouxls placed the hairbrush down and lowered himself onto the couch. "Nay, I knoweth..." He propped his chin up in his hand and seemed to find staring into the fire _very_ interesting. "All this just seemedeth more productive than beingst stucketh on puzzles and whatnot again." He grumbled and made a sweeping gesture to indicate Seam's home with his free arm.

 

"I see -- procrastinating..." Seam chuckled and glanced around the room. "Well, whatever your reasons, can't say the old place doesn't look nice." In truth, he couldn't remember the last time his home had been so orderly.

 

Rouxls sat up at the praise, "Yes, thou see? _Rouxls Kaard_ is an invaluable asset to anyone -- eveneth to thou! And certainly noteth a burden!" The Duke was grinning at him, but Seam was accustomed to his expressions after many game nights. He could see how strained his grin was, and how Rouxls' eyes were carefully trained on him, silently waiting for a response -- some validation.

 

"'Burden'..?" Seam scrutinized Rouxls. Was this about bothering him? Seam rubbed his eyes with a paw and gave a weary groan. "Oh, Kaard..." He dragged the paw down his face, but a smirk tugged at his lips, nonetheless.

 

Before he could continue, two blue hands darted forward and yanked Seam's arm up to Rouxls' face. "Thou art injured!" Rouxls yelped, eyes wide and frantic. At Seam's confused look, Rouxls turned his arm around to reveal the back of his wrist.

 

_Ah._

 

The incident with the rabbicks earlier had left a small tear in his stitching originally, but it seemed the continued use throughout the evening exacerbated it. Seam tsked and silently reprimanded himself for getting struck at all. Now cotton was bursting out of a rip that spanned the width of his wrist. If his wrist ripped much more, his hand would be dead weight until mended.

 

He supposed he should fix it now before it got worse, and put Rouxls at ease. "That's an easy enough fix," he assured, "just hold it still for a moment..."

 

Seam summoned a needle with a thin, magic thread trailing behind it. It moved on its own, stitching the tear back together. Rouxls held Seam's hand steady with both hands and grimaced as the needle wove in and out of his cloth.

 

"Come, now, there's no need to make a face. It doesn't hurt." For a darkner like Seam, tearing and mending was a fact of life. However, he did have a habit of neglecting minor injuries until they demanded attention.

 

The needle jerked upwards, pulling the new stitching together, making it as if it had never torn, and disappeared. Seam flexed his fingers experimentally and Rouxls marvelled at the space where the wound had been.

 

"If 'tis so easy, why doth thou not fixeth thine face?" Rouxls blurted out.

 

" _Ouch._ "

 

Seam laughed while Rouxls furiously backpedaled. "I didn't mean-! There's nothing wrong with thine face!" Rouxls insisted, his hands gripping tighter. "Thou hath a lovely face! I meaneth, not as lovely as mine, obviously, but..."

 

Seam let the topic slide and waited for the Duke to stop reeling. After Rouxls finally got ahold of himself, he looked at Seam anxiously. "You know, Rouxls," Seam thought back to Rouxls' concerns before the injury sidetracked them, "it's certainly a lot quieter when you're not around."

 

"Oh..." Rouxls suddenly seemed much smaller as he slouched, eyes downcast.

 

Seam's button whirled mischievously, catching the light of the fire. "Never really cared for quiet, personally."

 

"Oh!" He instantly bounced back to a more characteristic energy level, looking up at Seam with a pleased smile, which Seam returned.

 

The moment lingered for just a little too long, and Seam eventually looked down. "... Could I get my hand back?" He requested. Rouxls, who just realized he'd been clinging to Seam's hand for dear life the entire conversation, pulled back as if he'd been burned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Lesson learned: I can't make any promises about updating sooner, but I am looking forward to the next chapter!


	4. Candy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand we're back! Sorry about that, folks, just let me brush off some of these cobwebs...
> 
> Anyway, we're leaving the seap for this chapter, boisengirls!

The shop was out of dark candy. Not surprising, considering it was a favorite for most darkners. It was time for one of Seam's infrequent trips to collect more. Slinging a bag over his shoulder, he walked through the entrance of the shop.

 

No sooner than he set foot outside, he overheard: "I am the Seam Master."

 

Seam's ear flicked. _What in the world?_

 

One of the _former-puzzle-now-tutorial_ masters was standing before Rouxls Kaard, eyes constantly shifting away from the Duke. Perhaps they were braver than the others to approach the villainous darkner that took their jobs, but Seam could see them shaking like a leaf even from where he stood.

 

"I-I can tell you anything you want to know about Seam." Oh, this could be interesting.

 

"Go on..." Rouxls was barely maintaining a disinterested facade.

 

Emboldened, they continued, "Seam loves it when you give us money. He will hug you and call you 'honey'."

 

Rouxls shoved his hand into his pocket.

 

Upon noticing Seam walking over, the jigsawry panicked and dashed away. Rouxls, however, had not noticed and had his arm extended, clutching a handful of dark dollars. He shrieked at the sudden weight of Seam's paw on his shoulder.

 

"Seam!" Rouxls whirled around. He glanced at the money in his still outstretched hand and quickly hid it behind his back. "Ah heh..." Fixing Seam with a nervous smile, he turned away in an effort to discreetly put the money back in his pocket. "Thou don'tst usually come outside."

 

"Well, y'know... Just got done with my weekly roll in the catnip patch." Seam offered as an explanation, which Rouxls laughed openly at, perhaps relieved his conversation with the jigsawry wasn't being pressed.

 

His laughter cut short. "I can't telleth if thou art joking."

 

Rather than answer, Seam gave a mysterious smile and turned to head down the path. As he expected, Rouxls caught up to him in a few moments.

 

"I gotta restock the shop." Seam stated, "You came all this way, so might as well tag along."

 

\---

 

The bright pink canopy of trees stood out against the black sky, and the field was as calm as ever. They walked at a leisurely pace down the twisting and turning path while Rouxls chattered about various insects that could be found in the area if one knew where to look. Seam occasionally steered them off the trail to find the candy trees, and in time his bag became full to bursting.

 

"Think that'll do." He decided after plucking the low-hanging candy from the final tree. "Sorry to bring you out so far."

 

"'Tis nay trouble." Rouxls dismissed.

 

"Still, perhaps a reward is in order," Seam placed his bag down and eyed the candy still in the branches high above them, "for a good harvest." His lips quirked into a smile as an idea formed in his head.

 

He indicated for Rouxls to pay attention, then summoned a spade over the palm of his hand. The spade began spinning like a disc. Satisfied with how Rouxls was watching his movements curiously, Seam wound up for the toss. He sent the spade sailing up to the high branches of the tree, slicing the dark candy free.

 

With a small gesture, the candy was spared from its plummet to the ground by a net of gleaming threads. The threads lowered Seam's prize carefully, then disappeared as quickly as they were summoned, dropping it into his waiting paws.

 

Seam looked pleased with himself as he turned to his companion. It wasn't such a flashy trick, but Rouxls looked sufficiently dazzled.

 

"I've always thought the candy at the top of the tree tastes best." He explained.

 

"Ridiculous," Rouxls rolled his eyes, "they can'tst possibly taste-eth different than the others."

 

Seam shrugged, "Why not try for yourself?" He nodded in the tree's direction, "There's still one up there."

 

Rouxls looked up into the branches dubiously. "... Me?"

 

"Think of it as a game," Seam's button whirled eagerly.

 

Rouxls scoffed and waved a hand at him. "Thou asketh too little of me." He boasted with a wide smirk, "Tis but a simple taske for magic as stronge as mine. Perhaps too simple, even."

 

Seam encouragingly gestured to proceed and waited for him to demonstrate, which caused Rouxls to flounder. The Duke's eyes darted every which way in calculation.

 

"Couldst thou . . . turn around?" Rouxls spoke up just when Seam was about to let him off the hook. "Facing the tree." He clarified at the odd look Seam gave him.

 

"But what does--"

 

"Tis part of the magic!" Rouxls insisted.

 

Seam eyed him doubtfully, but did as he was asked. Staring at the trunk of the tree, he waited for . . . well, _something._

 

And waited.

 

Behind him, Seam heard the thud of footsteps in the grass rapidly approaching. Followed by the entire weight of the Duke unceremoniously hurling himself onto him and scrambling onto his shoulders.

 

" _What are y--_ " Seam swore as a boot stomping heavily on his head cut him off.

 

"Holdeth still!"

 

They staggered and swayed dangerously as Rouxls reached for the dark candy. Eventually, Seam found his balance with Rouxls' feet planted on his shoulders. The candy he had in his grasp before had been dropped in the commotion. Seam's ears were flat in resentment at being reduced to a ladder, but he still held onto Rouxls' ankles to keep him secure.

 

Seam heard Rouxls make a noise from above that sounded pleased, granting a sliver of hope that this would end soon enough.

 

He had to readjust his stance when Rouxls abruptly leaned far back, meeting with more resistance than picking candy warranted. Leaves rustled and Rouxls grunted with effort as he pulled.

 

"Are you taking the whole tree with you?" Seam groused.

 

_Snap!_

 

Oh no.

 

Whatever Rouxls was pulling at finally gave way, and with no more resistance they lurched back several feet. In what seemed like a very long moment of reeling and confused shouting, they struggled to stay upright, but ultimately in vain.

 

The next thing Seam knew, he was covered in pink leaves and staring up at the endlessly dark sky. He blinked and sat up with a groan. He rolled both of his shoulders to see if his stitching held up. Right shoulder felt a little loose -- he'd fix have to fix that later.

 

" _Ahah!_ " Rouxls crowed triumphantly behind him. Seam huffed and turned around to scold him, only to have a dark candy thrust in his face.

 

There was a sizable twig still attached to the stem.

 

Seam's gaze followed the twig to the man holding it out. He had never seen Rouxls so disheveled: his hair was a mess and had debris sticking out at odd angles. Yet the Duke grinned ear-to-ear.

 

Staring for a moment, a snicker bubbled up and Seam's earlier irritation melted away. Finally, he dissolved into laughter.

 

Rouxls held his prize to his chest and looked affronted. Still laughing, Seam brought his paws up to either side of Rouxls' head. The Duke froze and glanced wide-eyed between Seam and his paws in his hair, his face turning a deeper blue.

 

Plucking a stick and leaf free, Seam showed them to Rouxls with a wide grin.

 

A second peal of laughter started up, with Rouxls joining in this time while straightening his hair with a free hand.

 

"I think you win this one," Seam conceded, "have to admit I've never seen that method before."

 

Once they calmed down, Rouxls plucked his dark candy from the remaining stick and patted some dust off his uniform. While he was distracted, Seam retrieved his own candy from the ground and wiped it clean on his cloak. He sat down next to his bag by the roots of the tree, and Rouxls joined him so they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.

 

The marshmallowy taste of dark candy had long been a favorite of Seam's. The extra effort to get the ones at the top just made them all the sweeter, in his opinion. He savored sinking his teeth into the star-shaped candy. Rouxls, however, furrowed his brow after he took a bite of his own and declared it too sickly sweet, but still continued eating.

 

Once they polished off the candy, there wasn't much left to do but head back to the shop. Instead, they lingered. Seam leaned his head back against the trunk and shut his eyes. He was feeling a bit lazy after the excitement a few minutes ago, and it was warm with Rouxls beside him. He could easily nod off right then and there.

 

"... Seam?" Rouxls' voice sounded uncharacteristically small. Uncertain. Seam hummed in response, but Rouxls fell quiet.

 

Curious, Seam turned to him, only to have lips pressed against his own.

 

It was rushed, and the contact was broken almost immediately, but the world seemed to freeze in that moment and left Seam with an unusually fuzzy feeling in his cotton. Seam stared, thunderstruck, at Rouxls. Rouxls looked somewhere between desperate and terrified.

 

When no response was forthcoming, the Duke stood up robotically with a tight smile plastered on his face. Seam had seen that expression countless times from him trying to mask his frustration at losing many a game. Words evaded him as, in a blinding flash and ear-piercing thrum of magic, Rouxls teleported away.

 

As the spots cleared from his vision, Seam found himself alone with the overpowering taste of marshmallows still lingering on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second half of this chapter was actually the first scene I thought of that inspired me to write this! I'm so glad to finally put it out there.
> 
> Hope you've been enjoying so far!


	5. Apologies

Seam returned to the shop feeling as though his cotton had been tied in knots. An unpleasant twisting sensation that haunted him until he was able to rest once more. He sat down on the couch and considered what had happened.

 

Rouxls Kaard had kissed him.

 

Rouxls Kaard had kissed him, and then fled.

 

And Seam let him.

 

With a weary sigh, Seam ran a paw over one ear and stared listlessly into the unlit fireplace.

 

Truth be told, he would be lying if he claimed this had come out of nowhere. There was a certain warmth -- fondness, even -- that had quietly wormed its way in and grown over the course of their visits. Seam had been somewhat aware of it, but never felt the need to act on it. It was just so comfortable and easy to just exist in the warmth of that affection.

 

But clearly Rouxls had not been content to let things continue unchanged. Seam supposed it was fitting: he'd always been the one moving things forward, hadn't he?

 

There wasn't much Seam could do now but wait for Rouxls to cool off and return so they could talk.

 

 

But Rouxls didn't return the next day. Or the day after that.

 

It eventually became out of the ordinary, and Rouxls' absence was hard to ignore. Seam found himself anticipating the telltale charge accompanied by the Duke teleporting nearby, or eagerly looking up whenever someone entered the shop, only to be disappointed.

 

Seam briefly entertained the thought that perhaps the King of Spades finally got fed up with Rouxls, but discarded the theory quickly. If anything, Rouxls had a knack for staying free of the dungeon. No, more likely, Seam surmised, was that he would not come back. Perhaps Rouxls found it easier to bail from what he perceived to be a sinking ship on his own terms, rather than risk outright rejection.

 

Which was fine, of course. Ultimately, it didn't really matter.

 

Friendships ended.

 

Seam's foot collided with the stack of board games beside the couch and sent them spilling to the ground, startling him out of his musings. Cursing, he leaned down to collect them up. Once everything was put back, Seam thoughtfully rested a paw on top of the stack -- his old chess set. Sighing, he turned away and trudged into the kitchenette to make tea. The only sound in the room was the soft crackle of magic fire he summoned to heat the water.

 

The silence was maddening as ever. He found himself longing for it to be replaced by idle chatter and the soft clicking of game pieces on the table. Although Rouxls couldn't compete with Seam at their games, his persistence was admirable. He imagined Rouxls, and the way his face would light up as he spoke of the things he was passionate about. The animated flourishes and pomp that thinly veiled someone who was, honestly, a bit of a disaster. But his quirks became oddly endearing, and he was certainly in good company. And he cared for Seam's well-being, something Seam himself struggled with on most days.

 

Ears flat, Seam shook those thoughts away.

 

The water came to a boil and he set it down to cool.

 

\---

 

It wasn't until later, as Seam sat behind the shop's counter, that the idea of going after Rouxls came to mind.

 

He tapped his fingers on the countertop as he chewed over the thought. Of course, he immediately conjured up reasons to not do that. It had been so many days, and he'd already let resignation sink in. Perhaps Rouxls truly didn't want to see him if he'd been avoiding him this long. He also didn't relish the thought of returning to Card Castle. Who knows what sort of paranoia it would spark in the King of Spades if the old court mage suddenly started poking around the castle?

 

Despite himself, Seam snickered as he imagined telling the King his visit was purely for romantic pursuits. Surely he'd buy it.

 

But the idea only persisted. It wasn't as if Rouxls was out of reach, or unable to be reasoned with. There was no reason for things to end so abruptly, and Seam didn't need another regret to add to the pile.

 

Seam grumbled at himself as he stood. If he was going to end this nonsense, he would have to act before his pessimism caught up with him.

 

\---

 

The dark world, admittedly, was not a large place. Walking from the field to the castle was no more than a lengthy stroll. A lengthy stroll Seam had zero precedent in taking. Once he'd ventured beyond the Great Board, passersby began giving him odd looks. However, he was too busy trying to _not_ talk himself into turning back to notice.

 

But as luck would have it, he wouldn't have to travel all the way to the castle, or even much farther.

 

A familiar blue figure stood just down the path, facing one of the card suit puzzles that littered the dark world. Rouxls Kaard thankfully hadn't noticed Seam yet. Instead, he had his hands on the buttons, pressing them at random.

 

Suddenly confronted by his target, Seam hesitated and considered leaving before he was noticed. Resign to letting things happen as they inevitably would. But the thought of the shop, his home, quiet and empty spurred him on. The constant clicking of the tiles falling into place in the wrong order and resetting covered up Seam's cautious approach. Rouxls muttered in vexation and banged his forehead against the wall.

 

Seam chuckled fondly at the sight, alerting Rouxls, who spun around. The Duke briefly regarded him with confusion, then wide-eyed dread.

 

A magical charge rippled through the air. And Seam knew what that preceded.

 

With reflexes he thought had long since worn away, Seam closed the gap between them. He grabbed Rouxls' arm just before a column of blinding light could spirit him away, only to get whisked away as well. The grass under their feet disappeared as though it had dropped out from under them, and for a moment Seam was subjected to a stomach-turning weightlessness. Solid stone underfoot was a relief from the nothing. He released Rouxls and staggered back before regaining his bearings.

 

"Th-thou can't be in here!" Rouxls had put himself out of arms reach, but thankfully wasn't charging up another teleportation. Seam didn't think he could stomach another trip so soon.

 

"And yet . . . here I am." Seam replied with an edge of ruefulness as he looked around. He brought his tail into his hands and tried to smooth the fur standing on end from the unpleasant trip. He looked around and easily recognized the dark, stone architecture as the inside of Card Castle.

 

Inside of Card Castle and alone with Rouxls Kaard. The atmosphere was tense as they stared each other down, words failing to come to either. Rouxls could only hold eye contact with Seam for a moment before focusing on something clearly very interesting on the floor.

 

Seam took the time to get a better look at the room, which was apparently Rouxls' private quarters. Though the room was a back room to Rouxls' shop and relatively small, Seam knew that not being packed in with others in the deck was a luxury here. Compared to his own, he found the Duke's decorating tastes to be rather bare bones, but certainly tidy. At least at first glance. The bed was neatly made, with a chest of drawers topped with a tower of books beside it. The only other piece of furniture was a desk with sheets of paper stacked in an orderly fashion out of the way, and writing implements lined up precisely off to the side. A gilded hand mirror rested on one corner of the desk. Upon closer inspection, however, he noticed the wastepaper basket under the desk overflowing with crumpled paper. Then he noticed knitting supplies had been hastily shoved under the bed, including skeins of colorful yarn which drew his eye.

 

"It's good to see--" / "What werest thou--" They spoke over each other, then silenced to let the other speak.

 

Eyeing him cautiously, Rouxls continued. "What werest thou doing so far from thine Shoppe?"

 

Well, at least he was willing to speak to him. Seam decided to make himself at home and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked Rouxls in the eye and simply pointed out: "You've been avoiding it." _Me_ , he left unspoken.

 

"Ah. That." It took Rouxls a moment to realize he'd admitted it, then stood ramrod straight when he had. "W-well, surely thou hasn't forgotteneth my many Duties!" He backpedaled, "I hath been busy -- endlessly busy! Creatingeth masterful puzzles! For all thou knowseth, I haven't had the time! Nor perhapseth the desire! I--"

 

Rouxls' expression crumpled. The wind in his sails seemed to have escaped entirely. "I..." He hesitated, and his gaze fell to the floor, "I owe-eth thou an apology, Seam."

 

"For what?"

 

"For--!" In exasperation, Rouxls gestured wildly between the two of them and then threw his arms out in an explosive motion. As if that flailing had taken all of his energy, Rouxls sat down on the bed beside him and leaned heavily on his knees.

 

"I just..." Rouxls wouldn't look in his direction, and Seam waited for him to collect his thoughts. "I hath never had someone I couldst speaketh with as openly as with thou. Nor someone to spendeth so much time with. Forsooth, I hath grown to value thou're companionship, and..." Rouxls glanced in Seam's direction, looking away when he found Seam staring at him intently, "... and thou. I leteth myself get carried away with such thoughts and improper feelings, and I hope-eth I have not jeopardized our . . . _friendship?_ " He seemed uncertain at the last word.

 

"... You done?" Seam asked. Rouxls nodded meekly. "Good. Rouxls," He placed a paw on his shoulder and gave him a teasing grin, "you're an absolute fool." The Duke made an affronted squawking noise, but Seam pressed on before he could make a rebuttal: "Do you really think I left my home and came all this way to reject you?"

 

Rouxls blinked and finally paused to think about the situation that led them here. He flushed a deep blue once it finally clicked.

 

"This is usually the parteth when someone interruptseth my Daydreame."

 

Seam snickered. "Don't jinx it." He leaned forward to gently kiss Rouxls. A chaste kiss that lasted just a fleeting second before Rouxls pulled away with a gasp. He looked stunned for a moment, then an elated giggle bubbled out of the Duke. Rouxls cupped Seam's face and proceeded to pepper him with a series quick pecks that left both of them laughing.

 

" _Eeeeewww._ "

 

At the intrusion, Rouxls shoved Seam back at arms length and whipped his head back to the source. Prince Lancer stood in the doorway, pulling the stopper from a glass jar of worms in his clutches. They stared at him in tense silence, and Seam cringed as Lancer stuck his hand into the jar to pull out a fistful of squirming worms, then stuck them in his mouth.

 

" _Dadfs fshouldn' kissh._ " Lancer said plainly around his wriggly snack.

 

"Lancer! How many times have I told you not to speaketh with your mouth full!" Rouxls scolded, pushing away from Seam. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket in a fluid motion as he advanced on the Prince. Rouxls gave the handkerchief a quick lick and Lancer whined as his face was scrubbed.

 

"Now," Rouxls tacked on a kinder tone as he took the jar from the boy and placed it on the desk, "didst you needeth something, my Prince?"

 

"Lesser Dad, I'm bored!" Lancer tugged at the hem of Rouxls' coat.

 

The Duke glanced in Seam's direction apprehensively, then knelt down to Lancer's eye-level. "I am afraide I amst in the middle-eth of a conversation. Couldst you give me fifteen minutes, and then I shallst be at your disposal."

 

Lancer bowed his head and kicked at the floor in disappointment. "Fifteen minutes? That's like two hours!"

 

Rouxls groaned in exasperation. Seam propped his head up with a paw and patiently observed as the two launched into a bizarre negotiation. A negotiation in which Rouxls kept losing minutes and had to promise several activities ranging from listening to music to watching Lancer's "sick bike tricks." Eventually, they seemed to reach an agreement and Lancer dashed out of the room with a broad grin.

 

"Later, Lesser Dad! Creepy shop guy!" He shouted just before the door shut behind him.

 

Rouxls stood up with a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, resting it at his shoulder as he stared after Lancer for a moment. When he turned around, Seam caught the faintest smile on his face before the Duke remembered he was still there.

 

Caught, Rouxls flushed and coughed. "Don't looketh at me like that."

 

"What?" Seam grinned, "It's cute."

 

Rouxls huffed in indignation, "'Tis my job!" He paused, "For some reason. I amst greatly put upon, I assure-eth thou."

 

"If you say so."

 

With a weary groan, the duke sat back down beside Seam and leaned against him, nuzzling into the thick fur of his neck. "This is why we meeteth at thou're place." He muttered, "Too many interruptions here."

 

Seam let out a peaceful sigh and leaned his head on top of Rouxls'. "... I suppose, now that everything's sorted, I could just go home." Rouxls hummed in agreement, but only shifted closer and wrapped his arms around him. "Rouxls?"

 

"Shhh... 'Tis illegal to move right now." Rouxls sounded sleepy and far away as he shushed him, "I still have-eth a few minutes before Lancer seeks me out again."

 

Smiling warmly, Seam place an arm over him and let the Duke have his rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> This is the penultimate chapter, so all that's left is to wrap things up!  
> (Besides maybe a small extra scene I feel bad about leaving out, but I'll figure that out later)


End file.
